Comments Off on Artisanal clay pots from Egypt can water your plants for up to a month

Gardeners who travel will love these absorbent clay pots from Egypt. Modeled after the Olla, an ancient ceramic pot prevalent throughout North Africa, the small vessels are designed to water plants for weeks at a time–using nothing but gravity. Clayola founder Rami Halim says 20 liters (5 gallons) of water can sustain six to eight plants for up to a month. The Clayola pots, connected via a pipe to a water source placed at a slightly higher elevation, are pushed into the soil until the colorful tops are flush with the surface. A small siphoning pump gets the water flow going and then gravity takes over from there. The porous clay vessel acts like a sponge that slowly releases a small amount of water into the soil – just when it starts to become thirsty. “As water evaporates from a plant’s leaves, it draws water from the soil and as the soil dries up water is drawn from the Clayola to the soil,” Rami said. “In effect the plant extracts the water it needs from each clay pot.” “After a while,” he added, “a plant’s root system will find the source of water and literally hug the Clayola, allowing for maximum water use.” Related: Solar terracotta water filter distills 5 liters of water a day Rami says Clayolas are ideal for travelers. Unlike those of us who tend to either starve or drown plants, this system guarantees “each plant gets the exact amount of water it needs at no risk of over or under irrigation.” And it is said to be 80 percent more efficient than conventional irrigation techniques. Just 3 x 5 inches, the Crayola has a tapered shape that serves multiple functions. Not only does it maximize watering surface at the top, but it also makes it easier to penetrate the surface of the soil. The colorful glazed tops prevent evaporation and enhance the design’s playful aesthetic. There are two reasons Clayola favors employing skilled artisans in Cairo to make their products, according to Rami. “The handmade imperfections are absolutely beautiful,” he said, “and this old world craft is efficient, elegant and produces a surprisingly durable product.” A box of six costs less than $30, plus shipping. For more information, check out Clayola’s Facebook page . + Clayola Egypt

Comments Off on Hundreds of radioactive wild boars run amok in Fukushima, Japan

Packs of radioactive wild boars are running loose in northern Japan, where the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2011 forced entire towns and villages to abandon ship. Six years later, the beasts pose more than a minor nuisance to displaced residents, a number of whom are eager to return to their homes as the Japanese government begins to lift evacuation orders in certain areas. Besides their obvious toxicity—tests by officials show that some animals possess levels of cesium-137 300 times higher than what is considered safe—the boars are also known to attack humans. Swaths of farmland, now gone to seed, have become prime real estate for foraging varmints. According to Yomiuri , a local newspaper, boars have caused more than $854,000 in agricultural damage in Fukushima prefecture. Local authorities in the affected towns have hired teams of hunters to shoot the boars with air rifles, or trap them in cages using rice flour as bait. Related: Fukushima radiation levels at highest since 2011 disaster “After people left, they began coming down from the mountains and now they are not going back,” Shoichiro Sakamoto, who leads a group of 13 hunters in the town of Tomioka, told Reuters . “They found a place that was comfortable. There was plenty of food and no one to come after them.” A recent government survey found than half the 21,500 former residents of the town of Namie, one of the towns included in the proposed evacuation-order lift, have decided against returning, citing fears over the safety of the nuclear plant, which will take decades to dismantle. Several have also raised concerns about the bands of marauding boars. “I’m sure officials at all levels are giving some thought to this,” said Hidezo Sato, a former seed merchant in Namie. “Something must be done.” Via Reuters Image via Wikipedia

Whether it’s because of the looming increase in water bills across the nation resulting from the ongoing drought, or it’s the wealth of creative ways people are finding to harvest rainwater, the technique of rainwater collection is springing up in…

Comments Off on Carcinogenic water from the oil industry used to irrigate California farms

Environmentalists are outraged by a longstanding practice allowing oil companies to sell water laced with known carcinogens to California farmers. Madeline Stano of the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment told Phys.org that 80 percent of the state’s oil production and 45 percent of its farms exist side by side in Kern County. For the past 20 years, a farming cooperative called the Cawelo Water District has purchased water, which is separated from crude oil after extraction, at a significantly reduced price to irrigate crops such as almonds and grapes. The water is tested by a third-party and reports are sent to state authorities, but environmentalists raise alarm that oil companies are permitted to sell water containing benzine and acetone, both of which are known to cause cancer. Read the rest of Carcinogenic water from the oil industry used to irrigate California farms Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: California crops , california drought , california farms , Cancer causing chemicals , carcinogenic water , Cawelo Water District , Center on Race , crude oil water , Drought , irrigation , kern county , Poverty & the Environment , water issues

Comments Off on Climate Change Could Cripple American Corn Industry, New Report

Changing weather patterns are starting to strike at the heart of American food production, according to a new report which reveals the impact of climate change on corn production. The Ceres report shows that recent extreme weather events (like the Midwest drought of 2012 that drove corn prices to a record high) offer a taste of what is predicted to become the new normal in many parts of the Corn Belt . Read the rest of Climate Change Could Cripple American Corn Industry, New Report Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: aquifer , ceres , Climate Change , corn , corn production , Drought , food , global warming , irrigation , national climate assessment , shortage , United Nations

Comments Off on Drought In California and Texas Threatens US Food Security

For the past several months, California and Texas — two of the most productive agricultural states in the US – have experienced severe drought leading to difficult conditions for farmers in both regions. A new report from The University of Texas at Austin now believes that things have gotten so bad, that the nation’s food supply may be at threat. Read the rest of Drought In California and Texas Threatens US Food Security Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags:

Comments Off on Demand for Fresh Water Causing Oceans to Rise Faster Than Melting Glaciers

Waterlevel Photo by Shutterstock A study published in Nature Geoscience concluded that the global demand for fresh water is contributing to the oceans’ rise faster than the impact of global warming on melting glaciers. The trillions of tons of fresh water pumped out of underground aquifers, and then used for irrigation and to keep cities watered and fed is seeping into oceans faster than those underground water supplies can be replenished. The researchers leading the study insist that the impact of humans’ unquenchable usage of water over the past 50 years has been grossly overlooked. Read the rest of Demand for Fresh Water Causing Oceans to Rise Faster Than Melting Glaciers Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: china , Climate Change , fresh water , glaciers , groundwater , groundwater extraction , irrigation , melting glaciers , mexico city , saudi arabia , underground aquifers , yadu pokhrel